It's Not So Bad
by hurkydoesntknow
Summary: The Doctor drops off Rose with her mother only for him to fall sick. Now he must be cared for by Rose and her mother. Whump and fluff.
1. Not Sick

**It's my first Tenth Doctor story and I've made it a whump and full of fluff! I'm sick at the moment so I decided to make him suffer. MWA HA HA!**

**Note: I'm American, so forgive me for saying words like "apartment" and stuff.**

**Disclaimer: Hurky doesn't own Doctor Who or anything else that's copyrighted.**

* * *

"Doctor, please!" Rose Tyler pleaded with the Doctor with the most puppy dog eyes of puppy dog eyes. "Come with me to visit my mum! It'll only for one day!"

"For the last time, Rose, I don't want to be anywhere near your mum!" The Doctor protested. "Not since the last time I saw her, when she sprayed me with water!"

"She thought you were the neighbour's cat," Rose explained with a lighter tone in her voice. "She had been having problems with it for a while, but I think they keep it indoors now!"

"No means no," The Doctor flatly said, flicking switches and pressing buttons. "Now, I'm going to leave you at your mum's while I do some work and that's final!"

Rose huffed a sigh as she plopped herself into the pilot's chair. She felt bad that her mother and the Doctor didn't get along very well and wished they got along more often. She didn't blame her mother, however. The Doctor taking her young daughter on long trips into time and space, leaving her alone and worrying about where her daughter was or if she was okay.

The Doctor stifled a cough into his sleeve of his brown pinstripe suit. Rose didn't think nothing of it at first until the coughs began to increase as time went by.

"You alright?" Rose asked worriedly. "Do you need some water or some tea?"

The Doctor waved her off. "Nah, I'm fine," he said, voice suddenly raspy. "Just need to fix the air quality in here."

This made Rose raise an eyebrow. "Your voice..." she pointed out. "It's hoarse..."

"Horse?" The Doctor rasped again. "Are you kidding me? I do NOT sound like a horse!"

"No!" Rose shouted. "Your voice is all raspy, like you're losing it. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I told you, Rose Tyler, I'm fine!" The Doctor denied.

The TARDIS shook and made her creaking landing sounds, indicating they had reached their destination. The shaking sent Rose grabbing onto the panels until it stopped. She smiled and took the Doctor's hand.

"Come on!" she said. "At least come in and say hi!"

The Doctor sighed. There was no way of getting out of facing Rose's mother, Jackie. A blonde like her daughter, but very fiery tempered and overprotective. He followed Rose out of the TARDIS and to the flats of the Powell Estate, where Rose happily did a secret knock on the door.

_Please don't be home, please don't be home..._The Doctor thought as they waited. _Oh, for the love of Rassilon, PLEASE don't be-_

The door swung open and out stepped a blonde haired woman wearing shiny pink lip gloss, a t-shirt, yoga pants, and slippers. "Rose!"

_Drat..._

"Hi Mum!" Rose greeted happily. "We're back!"

"Rose, you had me worried!" Jackie immediately began. "You know how long it's been since I last saw you? Four months! And that's the shortest amount of time I've gone without seeing you since you met _this_ man!"

She burned her glance at the Doctor, who felt burning hot at the moment.

"You! You didn't get her infected with any funny alien diseases, did you?"

The Doctor raised his hands in defense, only for Rose to come to his rescue.

"Mum!" Rose screeched in embarrassment. "Can we come in for a cuppa?"

"Of course!" Jackie exclaimed excitedly, ushering them in only for the Doctor to stop in his tracks.

"It's fine," he said as he held up his hand. "I need to get going."

"But Doctor-" Rose began to say until the Doctor shushed her.

"Really," he said. "Go on. You need your mother-daughter time."

Rose nodded in understanding. She did miss her mother and would have liked to catch up with her, as much as she loved traveling with the Doctor. "Be safe."

The Doctor smiled and began to walk away while Jackie closed the door to her flat.

"Well!" Jackie began as she began to walk to the kitchen only to be interrupted by the sound of crashing outside.

"What was that?" Rose asked in alarm, swinging the door back open.

"It's probably just Mochi," Jackie said with a wave. "That nuisance of a cat was finally locked up in his flat recently but he must be back to his shenanigans!"

Rose hoped it was a cat only to find a man lying on the ground, face down. She ran over to him only to find that the face was familiar. "DOCTOR!"


	2. Getting You Taken Care Of

The Doctor was lying unconscious on the ground. Rose ran to him and knelt down, resting him in her lap.

"Doctor, wake up!" she shouted. "Are you alright?"

Silence. The Doctor was sweating, flushed pink, and he was very hot. He cracked his eyes open for a brief minute to see nothing but blurriness. He was not aware of his surroundings. He also couldn't make out whoever was talking. His eyes slid shut, back into unconsciousness.

"Mum!" Rose screamed. "Help me get him inside!"

Jackie immediately joined Rose in trying to lift the tall and lanky man inside, only for them to realize how heavy he was when he was limp. Rose held the top, while Jackie held onto the Doctor's legs, Rose walking backward and Jackie forward. It was like moving furniture.

"Heave, ho!" Rose instructed once they got to the couch. The two women heaved the Doctor onto the couch, both panting and sweating.

"I need to lay off those chocolate biscuits!" Jackie said to herself, huffing and puffing.

Rose didn't say anything. She took the Doctor's wrist and felt for a pulse. There was one, his double heartbeat, beating very quickly. The Doctor himself was breathing heavily and sweating. He coughed dryly, his face twisting in pain. Rose gently stroked the Doctor's face.

"Hold on, Doctor," she said. "We'll take care of you."

Jackie stepped away and returned with a thermometer, handing it to Rose. She stuck the thermometer into the Doctor's mouth, and within one minute got the result. Once Rose got a look at the thermometer, she clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Mum, he's got a high fever!" she cried worriedly.

"Calm down, Rose, honey," Jackie assured calmly. "We'll just cool him down. I'll get a compress for him."

Tears welled in Rose's eyes as Jackie left to the kitchen. Jackie felt worried for both Rose and the Doctor. When Rose wasn't happy, Jackie wasn't happy, and she knew Rose was happiest when she had her Doctor.

Jackie picked a blue and white dishtowel, turned on the sink, and ran it underneath the cold water, squeezing and wringing it out gently until she got it cold enough. She returned to the living room to find Rose, who still hadn't left the Doctor's side. Jackie placed the cold, wet towel over the Doctor's forehead, causing him to wake up.

"Rose?" The Doctor croaked weakly. "Where-"

"Shh..." Rose hushed quietly. "Hush, Doctor. You fainted and you're sick."

The Doctor gulped, his throat in severe pain. He ran his hand over his throat, face scrunched in pain. He had sore throats in the past, but not as bad as this one.

"Doctor, what's wrong?" asked Rose.

The Doctor pointed towards his throat. Rose immediately realized what it was.

"You have a sore throat," she said. "Do you want some tea? It'll help soothe your throat."

The Doctor nodded, hoping the hot liquid would help. Rose got up and went to the kitchen with her mother to make the tea. Before he knew it, there was Rose again, plucking the now warm towel off the Doctor's forehead.

"You fell asleep," Rose explained. "You have a high fever, so we're going to get you into bed. Can you stand up?"

The Doctor propped himself up, his head throbbing. He groaned in pain, pressing his hand to his forehead. He felt an arm wrap around him from the side.

"Come on, up you go, now," Rose instructed, helping the Doctor sit up. "Good, now let's get up. Slowly...slowly..."

The Doctor tried to stand up but he had very little strength. With the help of Rose, he used her to guide him up and to the nearest bedroom. She took him to the room where he recuperated from his regeneration illness, which had been quite some time ago. Rose helped the Doctor sit down on the bed, the Doctor nearly collapsing onto it. He curled up into a ball, folding his arms close to him.

"Freezing," he croaked painfully even though his hair was soaked in sweat.

Rose immediately pulled out a blanket from the linen closet and gently draped it over the Doctor, his white Converse sticking out.

"Here, let me get you comfortable," Rose offered, unlacing the Doctor's Converse and pulling them off. She draped more of the blanket over his socked feet. She was going to eventually try to get him into comfier clothes but for now this would do. She put the Converse on top of a chair nearby and returned to the Doctor, who was already asleep. She smiled to herself as she watched the Doctor sleep soundly. His hair was ruffled, but it was no different than when he was awake, and his face was like porcelain, gentle, and flawless.

"Sleep well, Doctor." she said quietly.


	3. Awkwardness

Rose was sitting in the living room watching the telly while snacking on some potato crisps when Jackie came in with a blue and white striped pile.

"Well, c'mon then," she began, motioning for Rose to get up. "Get up."

"What are we doing, Mum?" Rose asked skeptically, munching on a crisp.

"The Doctor's not going to be comfortable sleepin' in bed in that suit," Jackie explained. "So we're going to get him into some jim jams."

Rose nearly choked on her crisp. "What?"

"You heard me," Jackie repeated. "We're changing him into some jim jams! Up and about with you!"

Rose put down her bowl of crisps and went with her mother to the Doctor's room, where he was still sleeping quietly. He hadn't moved an inch since he was brought there by Rose hours ago. He still looked peaceful, even handsome with his eyes closed.

Jackie ruined the sight by pulling back the blankets, pulling off his socks, and immediately undid his pants, pulling them off.

"Mum!" Rose screeched, feeling her face go hot. "What are you doing?"

"Changing him," Jackie replied as if it were nothing. "It's not like I haven't seen anybody naked before. Besides, I used to change your nappies, missy."

Rose's eyes widened in embarrassment. She didn't know if the Doctor could hear but she hoped he didn't.

Like a ninja, Jackie managed to get the Doctor's jacket, shirt and tie off and the pajama shirt on without waking him. She instructed Rose to button up the shirt while she worked on the pants. Rose felt a little embarrassed since she had not seen this version of the Doctor without his shirt. She blushed as she carefully worked her way up, trying not to wake the Doctor. He coughed, making Rose jump a little.

"All done!" Jackie said triumphantly. "Rose, you done yet? For God's sake, he's not fragile china! Here, let me do it!"

She pushed Rose aside and buttoned up the Doctor all the way up to his neck.

"Not so bad!" she said, picking up the Doctor's clothes. "I'm going to toss these in the wash. Rose, do you think you could get dinner started for us? I bought some beef from the market. We're going to have pasties!"

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad changing the Doctor was over with. She didn't feel right having to change an unconscious person and she hoped she would never have to do it again.

* * *

The Doctor woke up hours later to a dark room. Night had fallen during his slumber, causing the Doctor to wonder what time it was. Was it past bedtime? Was Rose already in bed?

His question was answered when Rose walked by the room, still in her regular clothes of jeans, a t-shirt, and a pink zip-up sweatshirt. She saw the Doctor awake and smiled, walking in.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" she asked gently.

"I feel-" The Doctor said until sharp pains struck his throat. He rubbed at his throat. "-Hurts to talk,"

"Do you want some water?" Rose offered. "Let me go grab you so some water."

She left the room while the Doctor lied in bed, tired. He felt too hot now, kicking off the blanket. He expected his brown pinstripe suit to restrain his leg movement only to realize he was able to fully move his legs. He noticed he was in blue and white striped pajamas and barefoot.

_Who changed me?_ He thought to himself. He hoped it was Rose who changed him and not Jackie. He didn't want Jackie to see him in his undergarments. He saw his suit folded neatly on the dresser drawer next to where his Converse was placed.

"Here you are," Rose said as she walked in with not only a glass of water, but a steaming cup of tea. "The kettle was already on, so I made you a cuppa."

The Doctor smiled in appreciation as Rose set the tea and water down. He tried to sit up but was too weak. Rose helped prop him up against the pillows and brought the water to his lips, the Doctor sipping on it. The water made his throat ache some more but his mouth begged for more, continuing to drink until it was all gone.

Rose praised the Doctor for being able to drink all the water. The Doctor wanted a little more water, being dehydrated, but Rose helped him drink his tea. The hot liquid immediately soothed his throat. Once he finished the tea, the Doctor handed Rose the empty water glass with a pleading look. Rose smiled and took the glass.

"More water?" she asked.

The Doctor nodded, smiling weakly. He remembered his pajamas, in which he gestured his hand over his clothes in a puzzled look.

"Oh! Your pajamas!" Rose exclaimed, a light pink blush on her cheeks. "I changed you so you would be more comfortable. I don't think you'd be able to rest in your suit. You were really out cold, there!" She didn't mention how she felt dressing him. She felt very sheepish but she couldn't have him sleeping in his suit.

The Doctor laughed, only for him to clutch at his throat. It absolutely _hurt_ for him to laugh! But the worst part was that it also caused him to start coughing painfully. Rose sat on the bed next to him and began to rub his back until the Doctor bent over and spat something out into the rubbish bin. Rose noticed it was some kind of phlegm.

"Are you alright, Doctor?" Rose asked alarmingly.

The Doctor rubbed at his chest and nodded. He was beginning to feel some congestion and now he was beginning to cough up mucous. He did not like how he was getting a new symptom.

"Rose?" asked a voice.

"In here, Mum!" Rose shouted.

Jackie poked her head into the room. "I see the Doctor's awake," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"He's still sick," answered Rose. "He can't talk without being in pain."

The Doctor breathed a sigh and rolled underneath the covers. He didn't like looking so weak in front of anyone. Rose was enough.

Rose handed her mother the empty cups. "Mum, could you get some more water for the Doctor please?" she asked. She turned to the Doctor. "Are you hungry, Doctor? My mum could probably cook something up for you."

The Doctor poked his head out from underneath the duvet and shook his head. "Not hungry."

"But Doctor, you didn't even eat breakfast this morning," Rose pleaded. "You must eat something."

Rose had cooked an English breakfast on the TARDIS that morning. Usually, the Doctor loved Rose's cooking, especially when she made English cuisine, such as a Sunday roast, bubble and squeak, or a Victorian sponge cake, which was one of his favourites. He would eat it all day if he could. However, today was not one of those days where he wanted to eat at all.

"Rose, don't force him," Jackie said, walking back in and handing Rose the water. "Let him rest and he will want to eat later."

The Doctor was taken aback at how calm Jackie was. Usually it would have been her trying to force something down the Doctor's throat. He realized it must have been her motherly instinct. He didn't know how many times she had taken care of Rose whenever she was sick, but Jackie knew what was best.

Rose listened to her mother and handed the Doctor the glass of water. "Here, drink." she instructed.

The Doctor managed to sit up and take a few sips of water before setting it down on the nightstand, lying back down, and closing his eyes. He felt so very tired. He was so tired that once he was settled into bed, he immediately fell asleep.

Rose smiled as she pulled the covers over the Doctor's sleeping form and tucked him in, watching the Doctor sleep for a brief minute while stroking his tousled hair. He seemed to smile a small smile as she did this, making Rose smile.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered before leaving the room.


	4. Getting Worse?

The Doctor awoke the next morning in a tangle of blankets, still feeling groggy. He didn't want to move but he was thirsty, so he reached for his cup of water and drank from it. He immediately noticed his throat was feeling much better. He smiled in relief to himself, not caring about his tiredness.

_That's a big relief,_ he thought to himself._ That's one ailment taken care of._

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft knock on the door. It creaked open slowly, Rose poking her head in. "Doctor?" she asked.

The Doctor smiled and waved her in. Rose smiled back at him, stepping in. Her blonde hair in a messy ponytail, she was in her pink pajamas covered by a fuzzy pink robe and cat slippers. He absolutely thought she was so darling in her jim jams.

"Mornin'!" she said happily. "How do you feel?"

"Much better!" squeaked the Doctor in a very low volume only for him to grasp at his throat. It wasn't his familiar clear, soothing voice. It had been replaced with a croaky and squeaky voice, like a squeeze toy that had hardly any squeezes left. "Oh no..."

Rose frowned at the sound of her friend's voice. "Want me to get you some tea?" she suggested. "Maybe that'll clear your voice up."

The Doctor nodded. Rose left the room and immediately returned with a fresh cup of tea. That was one thing the Doctor loved about the Tylers. Tea was always plentiful and ready at the whim. The Doctor gulped it down while Rose watched in surprise. She always forgot that the Doctor had superior taste buds compared to humans, so his tongue could withstand higher than normal temperatures and extreme spice. They went to a chili cookoff not too long ago in Texas where the Doctor enjoyed chili beans made with a ghost pepper, one of the spiciest peppers on Earth. "Don't get me started on the chili peppers on Gallifrey," he warned at the time. "There are ones that could burn down your house if you're not careful with it!"

"Tea's good," The Doctor wheezed. "But not enough for my voice."

"What's going on in there?" called a familiar voice. "Rose, did you let someone in? Do you have any idea how early it is? It's Sunday morning!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "No, Mum, it's just the Doctor. He's lost his voice!" she called out.

Jackie appeared wearing her bathrobe over her nightgown and her hair let down. The Doctor did NOT enjoy this sight as much as he enjoyed Rose in the morning. "Lost his voice?"

"Well I don't exactly sound like an opera singer right now," The Doctor said sarcastically, with his voice lowering as he spoke more.

"Try not to speak if you don't have to, Doctor," Rose instructed the Doctor. "Mum, what can we do to get the Doctor's voice back? Remember I lost my voice just a few years ago? What did we do, then?"

"You don't remember, Rose?" Jackie asked, surprised. She turned to the Doctor and spoke to him. "I had her do all sorts of things to try to get her voice back! Gargle salt water, lots of tea with honey, you name it! It took her days to get her voice back, and this was right after I gave her that mobile, the first one she ever had! Oh, she wouldn't stop blabbering on it! Serves you right for talking so much on it, Rose!"

"Mum!" Rose squealed in embarrassment. "Look who's talking! You're on that bloody phone all day long with your friends! I don't use my mobile like I used to!"

The Doctor smiled and laughed silently to himself as he watched the mother and daughter bicker at each other.

"Oh, I can't believe how big that mobile was!" Rose laughed. "That thing was as big as the remote control and it would nearly stick out of my pocket!"

"But you were so happy when you got that for your birthday," Jackie said fondly.

The Doctor imagined the joy Rose expressed when she unwrapped that first mobile for her birthday. He had remembered going several years into the future and seeing mobiles that functioned much like computers, going online, making purchases with it, even using it as a navigator. They also rarely talked on it **(A/N: Remember, Tenth Doctor and Rose's stories mostly took place around 2005 or 2006)** because they were using a feature called texting. He couldn't imagine what kind of mobile Rose would get someday.

"Right, now Doctor," Jackie said, getting back to the subject. "We just need to get you to do what Rose had done. Come on, up and about with you!"

So that morning, the Doctor tried to gargle warm salt water, drinking tea with honey, sucking on lozenges, but no such luck. Jackie, Rose, and the Doctor were all disappointed at the result.

"Are there any alieny ways of getting your voice back?" Rose asked the Doctor, who was on his fifth cup of tea that day.

The Doctor took a sip of his tea before replying. "There are but several of those antidotes are gone along with Gallifrey," he croaked sadly. "There was one antidote, a special root that was made into a soup, that would have done the trick, but that was also on Gallifrey."

His eyes watered a little at the thought of Gallifrey. Rose sat on the bed next to the Doctor and rubbed his back. He sighed longingly, lying back into the pillows tiredly and resting his head to the side of the pillow.

"I'm too weak to fly the TARDIS, anyway," he said.

"Come on, Doctor!" Rose pleaded. "I'll fly the TARDIS! I don't know how but I'll learn! We need to look for a remedy!"

The Doctor smiled. One of the many things he loved about Rose was that she was not willing to give up. "Rose, I appreciate the thought but it's nearly impossible for you to fly the TARDIS on your own. This will pass in a day or two anyway."

Unfortunately, it did not pass in a day or two. Three days later, the Doctor was still having trouble with his voice. In addition to this, he started having chest congestion and Rose was beginning to hear it in his voice, causing her to worry. He was also sleeping more and having a harder time waking up.

He hadn't eaten much in the past few days, either. Jackie made chicken broth and Rose volunteered to bring it to the Doctor. She ladled some into a bowl, put some crackers onto a plate, and set them both on a tray before bringing them to the Doctor.

"Doctor?" Rose called gently to the Doctor as she walked in. "My mum made you some chicken broth."

The Doctor, who was covered from head to toe by the duvet, poked his head out, and cracked an eye open. "Not hungry," he grumbled stuffily.

Rose came closer with the broth and crackers. "Come on, Doctor, you've got to eat something," she begged sweetly. "It's been four days and you haven't had anything to eat. Surely you'll get better once you have something in your stomach."

The Doctor wouldn't budge. He didn't want to eat. His headache had returned and he wanted to avoid having to sit up. He just wanted to sleep.

"Please, Doctor?" Rose asked. "For me?"

The Doctor opened his eyes back up and saw Rose giving him that look, the puppy dog one. He couldn't stand it when she gave him that look! "Okay, fine."

Rose grinned, setting the tray down on the nightstand and uncovering the Doctor, helping him sit up, propping him up against the pillows. The Doctor held out his hands expecting the tray to put over his lap only for Rose to take the bowl and spoon, scooped up some broth, blew on it, and held it to the Doctor's mouth.

"Here," she offered.

"I thought I could feed myself," The Doctor protested.

"Doctor, you can't even sit up on your own," Rose pointed out. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to eat hot chicken broth when you're so weak. You could spill it all over yourself."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. _She had a good point,_ he thought as he took the spoon into his mouth. His eyebrows went up in approval at the taste. This was certainly different from tea. His stomach ached for more, not realizing how hungry he really was.

He ended up eating only half the bowl and none of the crackers. Rose set the bowl down and was about to take everything away when...

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you...uh..." The Doctor felt himself blushing a little. "Do you think you could watch some telly with me?"

Rose smiled at the thought of the Doctor wanting her company again. "Of course," she answered.

She began to pull a chair when the Doctor stopped her.

"Um, I was wondering if maybe you could lay here with me til I fall asleep?" The Doctor asked sheepishly. "Jus' for a bit of company. Getting a little tired of being in here all by myself. Would be nice if-"

Rose immediately plopped onto the bed next to him with the remote in her hand. "What shall we watch?" She asked with a giggle.

She surfed through the channels until they finally found a cartoon movie to watch together. At first, they were both really into it, laughing at it, though the Doctor's laughter was interrupted by his cough. Then, Rose began to get drowsy, so she rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder at first, breathing him in. Oh, how she loved his scent. Even if he had been laying in bed for days, he still smelled so nice. He was just that perfect to her.

By the time the movie ended, Rose's head had slipped off his shoulder, causing her to wake up.

"Mmm?" she mumbled, snapping back into reality. "Oh, I fell asleep. What time is it?"

"Don't you worry about that, Rose," The Doctor croaked quietly, draping some of his blanket over her. "Just sleep."

Rose smiled and closed her eyes, happily resting her head on the Doctor's chest, almost immediately falling back asleep.

The Doctor smiled to himself as Rose snuggled up to him in her sleep. He felt so grateful for Rose and everything she had done for him up to this point. He wasn't sure what would have happened if he was still sick on the TARDIS, alone. He loved her. He loved everything she was, who she was. She made him whole, something he had not felt for a long time.

"I love you, Rose Tyler," he whispered as he kissed her on the top of her head before falling asleep himself.


	5. Little by Little

Rose awoke the next morning with the Doctor still sleeping soundly with his arm around her. She smiled to herself at the sight, her chest and stomach warming up on the inside from all the fuzziness. She felt safe sleeping next to him all night. It was like she was his companion, even in their dreams. If she had a nightmare, the Doctor would be there to protect her. If only there were more nights like this...

"Rose?" called a voice.

Rose nearly jumped off the bed. Her mum! She completely forgot her mother was in the flat! Had she seen them sleeping together? It was not like they did anything but still! The sight alone would have Jackie drop kicking the Doctor out the door in an instant.

Rose quickly tiptoed out the Doctor's room, into her own bedroom, and tossed magazines onto her bed, making it look like she fell asleep on her bed. Jackie poked her head in and smiled.

"There you are!" she said happily. "Did you fall asleep in your clothes?"

"Yeah," Rose lied, pretending to yawn. "Was just looking through some old magazines last night and I guess I must have been knackered!"

"I know I was!" Jackie added, sitting on the bed. "I went out last night with a friend after I cooked that broth and we went shopping. She invited me to spend the night and it was a good thing I bought some new nightclothes! They were very comfortable! Definitely worth the ten pounds I spent on them! But first, we went to a lovely late dinner..."

Rose breathed a sigh of relief. Her mother wasn't home.

"...wonderful Indian food!" Jackie finished. She looked down at Rose. "Anyway, how's the Doctor this morning?"

"I don't know," Rose answered truthfully. "Think he's still asleep. I'll go check on him and see how he's doing!"

She hopped out of bed and went back over to the Doctor's room, where he was just waking up to find himself alone. He smiled when he saw Rose.

"Ah, there you are," he said calmly. He sounded almost like normal, though still a little congested. Suddenly, he got into a coughing fit. Rose rushed over and gently rubbed his back. "Thanks, Rose."

"How are you feeling?" asked Rose, her voice laced with concern. The Doctor may have sounded better but she didn't trust the cough.

"Better," The Doctor answered, grabbing a tissue and coughing into it. "Just coughing and hacking up a lot."

"Maybe a hot shower will help?" Rose suggested. "You could breathe in the steam and hopefully it'll clear up your chest."

The Doctor nodded, scratching his chin, which was now covered by a five o'clock shadow. "You're right," he agreed. "Also could use a shave." He hadn't shaved since the morning he was sick. He didn't even know how he managed to pull that off without cutting himself when he was so weak. He still wasn't one hundred percent better, maybe about a sixty-two, but that was enough to shave

"Think my mum has some clean jim jams, too," Rose continued. "She had a lot of her, um, friends, leave clothes here."

The Doctor chuckled. "Probably should get me a robe, too. Check the pockets for fruit. Maybe there's a peach in there!" he joked, making Rose laugh in the process.

So Rose found him a clean pair of pajamas and a robe and the Doctor took his shower. Rose made some tea in the process and a small breakfast for herself. As she was finished, the Doctor shuffled in wearing a robe over some light blue pajamas and some slippers. He was clean shaven and his hair was no longer sticking up. Rose felt a little saddened about his hair, since she loved his unruly hair, but she noticed there was more colour in the Doctor's complexion. That was something Rose liked better right now.

"You look much better, Doctor!" Rose complimented with a smile.

The Doctor grinned, rubbing his now smooth chin. "Still don't feel the part but nice to look good," he joked before coughing into his sleeve.

Rose pulled a chair at the kitchen table and offered it to him, which he took. There was a steaming cup of tea in front of him, to which he helped himself. The Doctor checked the robe pockets and discovered there were sweets in there. Rose realized (program won't let me write British version with an "s") that the robe belonged to one of her male cousins from her father's side who was going through his teen years. While her father had passed on, Rose still had some of his relatives come to visit.

"I remember going through a growth spurt back on Gallifrey," The Doctor reminisced. "I grew to be eight feet tall when I was seventeen, then shrunk down to four feet, and then to six feet, and did I mention this was all in the same week?"

Rose burst into laughter. "You did not!"

"I did!"

Rose continued to laugh. She did not know what the Doctor looked like back on Gallifrey, but she somehow imagined a younger version of this Doctor in different heights. It made her laugh even harder.

However, the fun stopped when the Doctor shouted in pain and grasped at his head.

"Doctor!" Rose cried. "Are you alright?"

"Think so," The Doctor said. "Just a headache."

"D'you want some aspirin?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "Allergic," he replied when another pain shot through his head. "Gah!"

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" Rose groaned in frustration. "That's the only painkiller we have in the house!"

The Doctor stood up and shuffled back to his room where he lied back down. Rose entered the room, sitting on the bed and taking the Doctor's hand into hers.

"It'll pass, Rose," The Doctor reassured her with a tiny smile. "It's all a part of being sick. I just need a bit more rest, is all."

Rose's eyes watered. She hated to see the Doctor like this. It had been nearly a week since the Doctor got sick and she was already missing the TARDIS. She missed flying around with the Doctor and getting into all sorts of trouble. She hated seeing the Doctor so weak and vulnerable but she did enjoy taking care of him since he has always taken care of her.

Rose didn't realize the Doctor had fallen asleep and that she was still holding his hand. She was about to let go when she thought she heard the Doctor say _Rose..._

"Doctor?" Rose asked aloud. She turned to the Doctor who was still asleep.

_Rose..._she heard again.

"Doctor, I'm right here," Rose said to him, squeezing his hand. That was when it hit her. He was speaking telepathically to her in his sleep!

_My beautiful Rose..._he said._ I am so happy I have you here with me, you just don't know. I love you so much._

Rose gasped in surprise. He _did_ love her! It was everything she had ever hoped! She smiled, with tears streaming down her eyes, letting go of the Doctor's hand to clasp her hands over her mouth to contain her joy.

"Oh, Doctor..." she whispered. "I love you too."

With that, she leaned forward, kissed the Doctor on the cheek, and waited. The only thing she got out of the Doctor was a sigh from his sleep. _I don't get it,_ she thought to herself, feeling confused and upset as she stood up. She sadly stroked the Doctor's hair, briefly touching his forehead when she heard him again, only this time, he was singing a song. Rose smiled to herself._ He's a lovely singer. We need to go to karaoke someday! _She began to fantasize about her and the Doctor having a sing-off when she was interrupted.

"Rose?" Jackie shouted from the front door. "I'm home! Come help me unload the taxi. I got loads of groceries."

"Coming, Mum!" Rose called after her, bounding out of the room...


	6. Testing the Day Out

The Doctor spent the rest of the day sleeping. There were no more telepathic messages from him, much to Rose's disappointment. Rose and Jackie had an uneventful evening at home, eating dinner, watching programmes on the telly, and then going to sleep.

The next morning, Rose awoke to someone gently whispering her name. "Rose?"

Rose buried herself underneath the pink blankets, trying to get more shut-eye. "Go away," she mumbled.

"Come on, Rose, wake up," coaxed the voice. It wasn't her mother. It was a male voice. A familiar, calming, gentle voice. A very soothing one, though it still sounded a little congested and croaky. If anything, the voice made her want to sleep more. "It's eight o'clock, beautiful day! Let's get up and go!"

"Leave me alone..." Rose grumbled.

"Okay, fine," said the voice. "You win. I'll leave you alone."

Rose smirked while closing her eyes, thinking she'd won the argument against this voice that wanted her to get up. Good, some sleep.

Suddenly, the voice shouted, "Rise and shine!" and the blankets went flying off Rose and the bed, causing a small draft of cold air to wash over Rose.

"Oi, what d'you-" Rose snapped until she saw who pulled the blankets. It was the Doctor! He was fully dressed in a plain blue coat and pants, blue shirt, and t-shirt along with red Converse and his hair done the way Rose liked it, along with his glasses on. He was grinning and holding the pile of blankets in his hands.

This sight would have made Rose happy, but not today. She was rather irritated since she was woken up so early. However, she was still worried about him, especially after yesterday.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Rose demanded frantically. "And where are your jim jams? You need to get back to bed!"

The Doctor tossed down the blankets and held up a hand to calm Rose down. "Rose," he spoke almost perfectly clear with just a wee bit of croaky congestion left, but not as bad as before. "I'm going to be fine. I just got tired of being in bed all day, so I figured I'd get dressed and walk around a bit today. Just an easy day, you and me! We could go out for a nice walk, get some chips, maybe even catch a movie!"

Rose smiled. "Are you asking me on a date?" She teased, doing that tongue in her teeth thing she always does.

The Doctor's hearts skipped a beat each. He didn't think about that for a second! He was just thinking about an outing! He had spent about a week in the Tyler household sick in bed and that was enough to make him go mad. This was the Doctor. He was all about getting up and about!

Rose, still smiling, yawned and stretched. "Give me a minute to get dressed and we'll go, yeah?"

The Doctor's smile returned and he nodded, getting off the bed and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. He decided to go to the kitchen for a cup of tea when he saw that Jackie was already in there, shuffling around in her robe and slippers. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and poked his head into the kitchen doorway.

"Morning, Jackie!" he said happily.

"AAAAHHH!" Jackie screamed, dropping a tea kettle on the floor. It clanged to the floor with a loud _bang_. She looked up and saw the Doctor standing behind her. Instead of getting excited the Doctor was out of bed, she wagged a finger at him. "You gave me such a bad fright! You could have given me a heart attack! That's the last thing Rose needs right now, me in hospital! And look at my kettle!"

The Doctor bent down, picked up the kettle, and examined it. Since it was metal, there was no damage to it. "Seems fine there, Jackie."

Jackie angrily snatched it out of the Doctor's hands. "Give me that!"

"Hey!" Rose chirped, entering the kitchen. She wore a pink and white striped t-shirt, blue jean jacket, jeans, and sneakers. The top part of her hair was tied up while the bottom part was let down.

"Rose!" The Doctor exclaimed, opening his arms for a hug, which Rose happily embraced.

Jackie, watching the two hug, was going to lecture Rose about the Doctor only to realize how happy her daughter was now that the Doctor was feeling a lot better. She decided not to ruin the moment for her. Instead, she continued on with making breakfast while Rose and the Doctor went to the living room to spend some time together.

The two sat on the sofa and began to talk.

"I don't understand, Doctor," Rose said, raising an eyebrow. "You had a bad headache yesterday and passed out."

"I woke up a few hours later," The Doctor added. "Your mum noticed me awake last night and..."

_Scene flashes back to previous night..._

The Doctor woke up late in the evening to find his room dark. He rubbed his eyes and temples, head still throbbing. He sat up and turned on the lamp on the nightstand to find a glass of water there. He took a long drink from it and set it down, feeling slightly relieved. He fell into a coughing fit, hacking up phlegm into a tissue for a good minute.

Suddenly, the door creaked open and in came no one other than Jackie herself.

"You still coughing?" she grumbled, placing her hands on her hips.

The Doctor, still in the midst of coughing, nodded.

"You've been sleepin' all day!" Jackie rambled as she walked around and tidied up the room a bit. "You should be feeling better by now! Rose has been worried about you all day. She said you had a bad headache, has it gone away, yet?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, still there," he answered, finally done coughing but his voice hoarse. "I'm allergic to aspirin, so I can't take anything for the pain."

Jackie remained silent as she walked out of the room. The Doctor thought Jackie was probably off ignoring him or something, maybe getting Rose. He rested his head back into the pillows and covered his eyes with his arm to block out the light of the room until he heard Jackie again.

"Here, drink this." she said calmly.

The Doctor moved his arm and opened his eyes to find Jackie holding a mug of something steaming. He didn't know if it was tea or not, but he reluctantly took it from her. He sat up, looked into the mug, and saw it was yellow. He raised an eyebrow "What is this?"

"It's a special Tyler family drink," Jackie explained. "Just try it. It'll help."

The Doctor slowly raised the drink to his lips, slowly sipping on it. He realized it tasted like lemon. He raised his eyebrows in approval and drank the entire thing in thirty seconds. "That is good! What was in that?"

Jackie smiled. "Well, it's a secret," she replied. "Rose doesn't know how to make it, yet, but I plan on teaching her, soon. It's a remedy and it usually helps with headaches and stomachaches."

The Doctor immediately felt his headache greatly reducing. "Hey, it's working!" he exclaimed.

"Then it's serving its purpose," Jackie concluded with relief. Unfortunately, she noticed his face, neck, and what she could see of his chest through the unbuttoned top two buttons of his shirt were slicked in a sheen of sweat. She placed her hand on the his forehead. "You still have a bit of a fever going on. Let me get a compress for you."

She left for a few minutes and came back with a cold compress, instructing the Doctor to lie back down before placing it on the his forehead. He immediately felt more relief. He smiled and thanked Jackie as he felt his eyelids become heavy with sleep, closing his eyes as she turned off the lamp, closed the door, and bid the Doctor good night.

_Back to the current scene..._

"That was very kind of my mum to take care of you like that, especially with the Tyler Remedy," Rose said with a smile while rubbing the Doctor's shoulder. "Just wish you called for me."

"Your mum said you fell asleep," The Doctor pointed out. "Didn't want to wake you. It was about ten-thirty."

Rose recalled getting tired rather early. She was watching the telly when she nearly fell asleep, so she kissed her mum goodnight and went to bed. She didn't pay attention to the time but it must have been nine o'clock or nine-thirty. With the Doctor being ill and nothing to do but sit around while the Doctor slept, Rose slept quite a bit. She was surprised her mother took some time to personally care for the Doctor herself. She guessed her mum did have a soft spot for him.

Rose smiled sweetly. "That was very considerate of you," she said. "But if you are ever sick like that again and you need something, I don't care what time it is. You need me, you go get me."

The Doctor gave her a hug. "Thanks, Rose."

Rose blushed. She would do anything for him, whether it's giving him medicine at three in the morning or comforting him. He was her Doctor, and she knew he would do the same for her.

"Rose, Doctor!" Jackie shouted from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"

"Ooh!" The Doctor jumped up and went to the kitchen with Rose following suit.

In the kitchen, Jackie had made an English style breakfast with tomatoes, sausages, bacon, and eggs, along with some fresh fruit. She had some tea bags out along with the kettle on the stove. Rose made some tea for both herself and the Doctor. She offered her mum a cup but she dashed off, saying she was going to meet with friends and had to get ready, but before she left, she said this to Rose:

"Make sure the Doctor eats plenty! He's too skinny of a bloke!"

The Doctor was already eating when she had said this. He rolled his eyes in annoyance while Rose just giggled to herself. As much as the Doctor ate, his current body had a very high metabolism, making it hard for him to gain any weight.

After breakfast, the Doctor and Rose finally left the flat. This made the Doctor excited because he had not been outside in about a week. He enjoyed the surprisingly blue sky along with the cool breeze blowing through his hair. He linked arms with Rose as they strolled through the neighbourhood.

They hopped onto a red double decker bus and rode all the way to London (not sure exactly where Rose lives, but work with me here). They got off and walked around the city some more, chatting happily. The Doctor gave Rose many useless facts and trivia about London while Rose rolled her eyes. Rose then changed the subject to karaoke.

"Have you ever done karaoke, Doctor?" she asked.

The Doctor, with his hands in his pockets, looked at Rose, raising an eyebrow. "Hm?" he asked. "No, don't think so. Not even when I went to that club in Tokyo. I'm not much of a singer."

Rose giggled. "Well, what body was that in?"

"Think this was right before I met you, actually," The Doctor answered. "About a few months before, went to 2024 Tokyo and karaoke made this dreadful comeback. Criticized my leather jacket, saying it didn't fit in..."

Rose pictured her old Doctor, in his leather jacket running around Tokyo. She knew he would not have fit in with the locals, since they had such amazing style.

"Well, we should go try it sometime," she suggested.

The Doctor bit his lip. He didn't know about karaoke but if it was for Rose, he would try it for her.

Rose sniffed the air and immediately recognized the smell. "I smell chips," she said, peeking at her watch. "Ooh, it's lunchtime! Let's go eat, Doctor! My treat, yeah?"

The Doctor grinned. "If you insist!" he said, as he began to follow Rose. Suddenly, he began to feel a bit dizzy. He saw a few black spots in his vision, blinking them back until they went away. He figured it was from too much activity, so it was a good thing he and Rose were about to sit down.

The two entered the nearby chip shop that was giving off the smell, where Rose bought two separate orders of chips. While they waited, the Doctor tried to imagine him and Rose sharing an order of chips, but he immediately realized it was impossible. Rose loved chips so much, she would eat the entire thing.

And eat the entire thing is what she did. She ate all her chips while the Doctor only ate half his order. He gave the rest to Rose, who happily gobbled it all up. The Doctor realized he was tired, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Rose immediately noticed.

"Doctor?" she asked worriedly. "You alright? You want to go back to the flat?"

The Doctor, who wanted to continue on with their day, couldn't keep going. He nodded sleepily. As he nodded, he realized some of his hearing had faded but returned very quickly. He thought that was rather strange, but he shook it off.

Rose and the Doctor left the chip shop and got back on the bus to the Powell Estate. As they rode on the bus, the Doctor fell asleep and rested his head on Rose's shoulder. Rose felt herself blushing furiously as she heard the Doctor's gentle breathing. She smiled to herself the whole ride home. When they were near the flat, Rose had to shake the Doctor awake.

"Doctor?" Rose said gently, moving so the Doctor's head slid off her shoulder.

"Mmm...huh?" The Doctor mumbled tiredly, blearily opening his eyes. "Where are we?"

"Almost home," Rose answered. "That's why I had to wake you. You can sleep when we get back to the flat."

The Doctor yawned and nodded. A good sleep in bed sounded so lovely right now. As much as he hated to sleep, today was a good day for sleep.

Once they got off the bus, the pair walked for a few minutes longer until they finally reached the flat. Rose got her key out and unlocked the door. She found a note from her mother on the refrigerator, saying she was out with friends. Meanwhile, the Doctor trudged over to his room and flopped onto the bed, kicking off his Converse in the process. Rose appeared a minute later.

"Today must have gotten you all tuckered out!" she said softly. She began to pull the blankets over the Doctor who snuggled more into the pillows.

"I'm sorry I cut our day short, Rose," he finally spoke.

Rose smiled and stroked the Doctor's hair. "It's fine, you need to finish recovering," she said. "Your body probably isn't ready to go back into full swing, yet."

"That's what today was for," The Doctor concluded, his eyes nearly slid shut. "A test to see how better I am. I may feel good lying in bed and indoors but I wanted to test the outside. I must have had a burst of energy but..."

He never finished his sentence. His eyes were closed, and he was out cold, dead to the world. Rose kissed the Doctor's forehead once again and left him to be...


	7. The Doctor's Relapse

Hours later, Rose returned to the Doctor's room to find him back in his pajamas, underneath the covers. It was early evening, and he had been sleeping since after lunchtime. This caused Rose to worry. It was beginning to look like the Doctor was improving but now he was relapsing. What was the cause?

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by a dark eyed stare from her Doctor.

"Hi," he said with a weak smile.

"Hello," Rose greeted back. "How are you feeling? Any better?"

The Doctor yawned and rubbed his stomach a little. "Not really. Still feeling a bit knackered and cold," he answered tiredly. "And my stomach hurts a bit. Threw up earlier this evening."

Rose raised one of her dark eyebrows. "Pain in your stomach, vomiting?" she questioned, tapping her chin with her finger. "Hang on, let me get my mum!"

"No Rose, don't get your-" The Doctor protested but it was too late. Rose was already sprinting out of the room to get her mother. He groaned in frustration.

Rose immediately returned with Jackie, who herself had a worried expression.

"My God, you're pale," she said, in a tone the Doctor never heard out of her, while she felt the Doctor's forehead and cheeks. "And you've got another fever. You must be having a relapse. Come on, Rose, up and about!"

Rose still had her gaze lingering on the Doctor as she left the room with her mother. She didn't understand how the Doctor went from energetic in the morning to weak and helpless in the evening.

The Tyler women arrived at the kitchen, where Jackie walked to the stove and turned on the kettle. Rose rolled her eyes.

"You're going to make him tea, Mum?" she asked, annoyed.

"No," answered Jackie as she went to the pantry and pulled out some honey and cloves. "Making him the Tyler Remedy again but this time I'm going to add a few extra things. You can get him a cold towel for his forehead and cool off his fever."

She opened a drawer, grabbed a dishtowel, and tossed it to Rose, who barely caught it. The young Tyler went to the kitchen sink to soak the towel while Jackie gathered a few more things as she waited for the kettle.

Then Rose saw a bottle of Irish whiskey on the table. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to it.

"Whiskey," Jackie explained. "I never add alcohol to the Tyler Remedy unless it's absolutely necessary." She saw the shocked expression on Rose's face. "What? Don't worry, I've never given you the remedy with alcohol in it. I'm putting it in to help calm him down."

"He's already calm," Rose pointed out.

"To a point where he can rest a bit better," Jackie added. She poured the water into the mug and added the ingredients, including a shot of whiskey, stirring them all together. "There. Can you take this to him? Make sure he drinks the entire thing!"

Rose nodded, cold towel in a small bowl with water in one hand and taking the remedy in the other. She sniffed the mug, which smelled a bit vile. Normally it was sweet. _This must be_ _the extra strength version_, she thought to herself as she walked back to the Doctor's room.

When she got there, the door had been slightly ajar. She poked her head in and saw the Doctor lying down, facing away from Rose. This didn't stop Rose from stepping in, causing the door to creak. The Doctor turned to find Rose. He smiled and laid flat on his back, folding his hands across his chest.

"Hey," Rose whispered, even though the Doctor was awake. She held up the mug. "My mum made you another remedy. Let me help you sit up."

Rose propped the Doctor up with his pillows and handed him the drink, which he thanked her for. He took a sip only for him to make a disgusted face.

"Ugh, this is strong," he said in disgust as he wrinkled his nose. "She probably put some kind of medicine in here. Hope it's not aspirin."

"Trust me, it's not," Rose added. "Drink some more. My mum said she wants you to finish the whole thing."

The Doctor sighed, nodded, and sipped on it some more. Rose soothingly coached him through the process, rubbing his back. When he finished, Rose smiled and took the mug, setting it down on the nightstand. She grabbed the chair nearby and pulled it next to the Doctor's bed, plopping herself in it.

"How are you feeling now?" Rose asked.

"I can feel the liquid going down my esophagus," The Doctor added. "That's something you don't get with tea very often. Anyway, think that remedy will help do the trick. Fancy some telly with me?"

Rose grinned. He asked her to join him again! She felt excited, but cautious. Her mother was home this time, so she just sat on the bed with the Doctor, watching prime time shows. Then the Doctor switched channels to find that _I Love Lucy_ was on. It was one of Rose's favorite shows.

While the two sat and watched, laughing, Rose noticed a box in the background, outside Lucy's apartment window. She recognized it immediately as the TARDIS! Her jaw dropped open as the Doctor tousled his hair.

"How did you-?" she asked in awe.

"Funny story!" The Doctor began. "I happened to be at Desilu one day chasing an older version of a Cyberman when I happened to park the TARDIS in the wrong spot. No one noticed, though! People were too busy laughing at Lucille Ball's antics. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only time I crashed a programme. I accidentally ran onto the set of _The Vicar of Dibley_ while they were filming!"

Rose giggled. "Doctor, you're too silly!"

"I know!"

The two burst into laughter until the Doctor clutched his stomach, groaning in pain.

"Okay, maybe laughing isn't such a good idea," he commented, laying back into the pillows.

Out of instinct, Rose gently placed a hand on the Doctor's stomach and rubbed soothing circles. This made him calm down a little bit. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Keep going, Rose, it's helping," he said.

Rose continued to rub the Doctor's stomach while they watched more telly. After a while, Rose stopped but the Doctor took Rose's hand into his and just held it. Rose felt herself blushing furiously. She didn't know what to do in that situation until she heard the Doctor calmly whisper her name. "Rose?"

"Yeah?"

The Doctor closed his eyes and moved his and Rose's hands up to his chest, as if they were touching his hearts. "You have no idea how much gratitude I have right now," he began. "When I'm fully recovered, I want to take you someplace nice, where we can't get attacked. I'll take you to one of the most beautiful planets you'll have ever seen, with shimmering waters and beautiful flora...the streets made with glittering crystals..."

He yawned while Rose smiled. The Doctor was making himself more tired just describing the soothing planet.

"Doctor, you don't have to take me there," Rose insisted, putting her free hand up. "I just want you well and flying the TARDIS again. I'm getting real sick of being stuck here all day! I miss running from unknown creatures and battling aliens!"

"But I want to, Rose," The Doctor breathed sleepily, his consciousness fading. His eyes didn't open again for the remainder of the time Rose was with him that evening.

Rose looked down at the Doctor only for her to notice he was already out like a lamp. She giggled at the sight, with his messy hair, his five o'clock shadow, and his slightly parted lips. Something inside her wanted her to press her lips against them but she restrained herself.

_That would be ridiculous!_ Rose thought to herself as a crimson blush spread across her cheeks. She couldn't take advantage of him like this! She gave him kisses on the forehead but that's as far as she would go when it came to a sleeping Doctor.

_But I imagine he's a good kisser_, Rose caught herself thinking. She immediately slipped her hand free from the Doctor's and shook up her blonde hair. "No!" she whispered to herself.

The Doctor sighed heavily in his sleep, turning his head to the side of the pillow and not once waking up. Rose smiled, stood up, and pulled the blankets over the Doctor to underneath his shoulders, tucking him in for the night. Next, she wrung out the small towel from the bowl of water, and dabbed at the Doctor's face and neck to cool him off, before finally re-wringing it and placing it on his forehead, making sure it didn't slide off in the position his head was in. Finally, she picked up the mug and was about to leave the room only to find her mum standing at the door.

"Told you the whiskey would work," Jackie whispered gleefully.

"Mum!" Rose scolded.

"Don't you worry, Rose," Jackie reassured. "I'm sure he'll be as right as rain in the morning. Now come on, let's have some tea. I already made your cuppa."

The Tylers left the room and walked to the kitchen, where they would wait out part of the night.


	8. Jackie Saves the Day

It turned out that waiting out the Doctor's illness was taking longer than the Tylers thought. He was still asleep in the afternoon the next day, so Rose went to check up on him.

She entered the room to find the Doctor asleep, lying on his side with his back facing Rose. The room was dark no thanks to the rain outside. Rose felt a cold chill just walking into the room. She absolutely hated days like this, especially when she was back at home compared to traveling with the Doctor. They were so damp and dreary, it was taking the life out of the world.

She put her hand on the Doctor's arm and gently shook. "Doctor?" she asked. "Are you awake?"

The Doctor cracked an eye open. "I am now..." he grumbled tiredly. He shifted positions to lie on his back and rubbed his brown eyes sleepily. "What time is it?"

"It's after one," Rose answered, sitting in the chair next to the bed and clicking on the bedside lamp. "You've been asleep since last night. Do you want anything? Some tea or water?"

"Maybe both," The Doctor agreed on.

Rose smiled and stood up. "Coming right up!" she said, turning and walking out the room.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of frustration. How much longer was he going to be sick? He hated keeping Rose stuck at home for so long. He also hated being stuck in bed. He had to get out. He didn't know why yesterday's attempt to go outside failed. His immune system still must have been weak so the outside did him no good.

He must have fallen asleep again because the next thing he knew, he was being woken by Rose. "Doctor?"

The Doctor opened his eyes again and found Rose's smiling face staring into his eyes. He smiled back at her. "Rose..."

"You fell asleep again, sleepyhead!" Rose joked.

The Doctor yawned. "Oi, it's not my fault," he said in his defense. "I dozed off!"

Rose ignored what the Doctor said and handed him a mug of tea. "Here, just steeped it!"

The Doctor smiled and guzzled it down. Rose stared in amazement once more. She could STILL not believe he could gulp down such a scalding hot drink and be okay. It was his superior Time Lord biology that gave him taste buds of steel.

He was just handing Rose the mug back to her when Jackie appeared.

"How are you feeling, Doctor?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Still the same," The Doctor replied as Rose fluffed his pillows. "Still tired but my stomach has improved a little more."

"Well then, fancy some soup, then?" Jacked asked. "I could make you some more chicken broth."

"We could give it a shot," The Doctor said with a nod.

Rose was impressed with how civil the Doctor and her mother were being to each other. She guessed her mother couldn't be mean to someone who was ill.

Unfortunately, before Jackie could leave to make the chicken broth, the Doctor threw his blankets back, sprinted out of bed, and ran to the bathroom, throwing up his cup of tea. Rose joined him as he hunched over the toilet, rubbing his back.

"You shouldn't have guzzled that tea down so quickly," Jackie warned from the doorway. "Tiny sips are the best way to go with a stomach bug."

The Doctor shot Jackie a glare. "I don't think this is a-" he said until he began to cough uncontrollably.

Rose sighed, gently patting her friend's back. So much for the Doctor and her mother being civil...

The Doctor continued to cough into the toilet until he rested his head on the cool porcelain bowl. He immediately felt relief against his burning skin, beginning to relax.

"You alright, Doctor?" Rose asked worriedly as she stroked the Doctor's hair.

"Hope so," The Doctor answered. "Just leave me here. This toilet is so nice and cool..."

Rose placed a hand on the Doctor's forehead. "Still feverish," she concluded. She began to help the Doctor up. "Come on, let's cool you down, yeah? Maybe a nice, cold bath?"

The Doctor nodded weakly, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Rose started the bath, running ice cold water into it.

"Hang on, let me go grab you some towels," Rose spoke up, walking out of the bathroom and over to the linen closet. She opened it up, took a stack of pink towels out of it, one large and one small, and went back over to the bathroom. "Sorry, but we have a lot of pink-Doctor?"

The Doctor was missing. This made Rose fill with worry. Where did he go? Did he go back to bed? Or did he go get a change of clothes? She rushed to his bedroom to check but he was not here. She checked the kitchen, the living room, even her own room. No Doctor. She was beginning to panic.

"Rose?" Jackie called from the front door. "Did you leave the front door open?"

"No, why?" Rose answered. She gasped as a realization struck her. The Doctor! She ran to the front door and checked around for the missing Time Lord. "Doctor!"

No answer. Rose stepped out of the flat and looked around. It didn't help that it was already dark out, the rain clouds making it even darker. It was pouring rain, water cascading onto Rose and wetting her blonde locks, making her hair stringy.

"Hi, Rose," said a familiar voice. Rose turned around and found the Doctor standing behind her, soaking wet. His hair was messier than before, dripping with water, and his pajamas were just about see-through, clinging to him. His expression was a tired one, but also signs of being a little out of it.

"Doctor!" Rose cried, throwing her arms around him, not caring her own clothes were getting wet. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing!"

"Exactly," The Doctor answered, spreading out his arms and throwing his head back, taking in all the rain that was hitting his face. He smiled as the rain refreshed him.

"Are you mad?" Rose shouted angrily. "I have a cold bath running for you in the flat! You could have waited a few minutes!"

The Doctor said nothing as he continued to stand there until he closed his eyes and his arms dropped to his side. He began to sway, Rose rushing and grabbing him as he fainted.

"I've got you!" Rose whispered. He was looking very pale, his lips very dark coloured.

"Rose?" Jackie shouted from the front door. "What are you doing out here? It's bloody freezing out here!"

"Mum, I need your help again!" Rose called. "He's fainted, I need to get him inside!"

"Oh, bloody hell!" Jackie cursed, running to Rose and helping her get the Doctor inside and into the kitchen on a chair. "He's soaking wet!"

"I know, mum," Rose said, drying him off with the towels from earlier. "I was trying to run him a cool bath so he could cool his fever and he just goes and stands outside in the rain!"

"Did you ever turn off the bath, Rose?" Jackie asked skeptically. "Because I can still hear it running."

Rose clapped a hand to her forehead and rushed to the bathroom, where the water level was about to overflow on the bathtub. She turned off the water and began to drain the tub. She breathed a sigh of relief as her mother arrived in the bathroom.

"You DIDN'T turn it off?" Jackie asked, alarmed.

"It didn't overflow!" Rose pointed out. "I'm draining it right now!"

She huffed in frustration, feeling very overwhelmed at the moment. She had a passed out Doctor, the bathtub nearly overflowed, and she had her mother yelling at her. This was not one of her best nights back at home.

"What are we going to do about the Doctor?" Rose choked out, tears strangling her voice.

"I'll tell you what we'll do," Jackie explained calmly, rubbing Rose's shoulder. "We'll dry him off and get him into a fresh pair of jim jams. Then back into bed for him!"

Rose smiled. One of the best things about her mother was that she _always_ knew what to do, and that she was always so forgiving. No matter how many times Rose screwed up or ran off with the Doctor, she was always one to forgive.

And so Jackie grabbed another pair of the Tyler Cousin's pajamas (dark blue) and other things and helped Rose haul the Doctor to his room. Jackie didn't make Rose help change him this time. Instead, she had her go get another glass of water and a cold compress. By the time Rose returned, the Doctor was back in his bed, covers drawn, looking much more comfortable. His hair was still wet from the rain, which Jackie was gently towel drying.

"There," she said quietly. "He's all settled in. He should be good as new again once he wakes up, especially since he went out into that dreadful rain." Jackie stood up from the chair and began to gather the wet pajamas and towels.

Rose giggled and rolled her eyes. She was about to leave the room with her mother when she noticed the Doctor's lips. Not in the good kind of kissable way, but in the bad way. His lips were turning blue. She took that as a bad sign, so she took the Doctor's hand into hers and noticed he was shivering. She placed he hand on his forehead again and felt it still burning hot.

"Mum?" Rose called out.

"What's the matter, Rose?" Jackie called back from the laundry room.

"The Doctor," Rose explained. "His lips are blue and he's shivering but he's still got a fever."

Jackie returned and examined the Doctor. His teeth began to chatter. "My God, he's got chills!"

"What are we going to do, Mum?" Rose asked frantically, tears stinging her eyes. She was terrified and didn't know what to do.

"We just need to give him a lighter blanket and give him plenty of water," Jackie instructed. "Go grab a thin blanket from the linen closet, honey."

Rose did what she was told. She came back with a thin blue blanket while Jackie stripped the bed of the thicker blankets. She took the blanket from Rose and spread it out over the Doctor, who already looked a little more relieved.

A little while later, the Doctor opened his eyes and Rose had him take some sips of water before he fell back asleep again. Jackie went to bed at midnight, but Rose told her she would stay with the Doctor and watch over him in case he needed her. Jackie said it was fine and bid her good night. It was going to be a long night, seeing as there was nothing to do but sit around and watch telly. At this point, Rose was sick of the telly. She had seen so many reruns and movies it was not funny.

Rose then decided to grab a book from the living room. Her mother recently bought a few books so she figured maybe something new would help keep her occupied. She settled on a murder mystery and took it back to the room with her. She opened the book and began to read, immediately immersing herself in the book. Everything was calm until Rose was 4 chapters in. That was when she heard the Doctor calling out in his sleep.

"No!" He shouted with his eyes still closed. "Leave her alone! Take me instead...I love her too much for you to take her!"

Rose ignored what he was shouting. She shook him by the shoulder, trying to wake him. "Doctor!" she yelled. "Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"


	9. Repercussions of Fever

Rose continued to shake the Doctor by the shoulder, trying to get him to wake up from his fever induced nightmare. He opened his eyes, took a good long look at Rose, and sat up. Rose smiled.

"Doctor!" she cried happily. "I'm so glad you're awake! That fever is really taking a toll on you!"

The Doctor said nothing as he stared at her as if she were some kind of weird creature. He blinked, his expression turning into a glare. "How _dare_ you impersonate Rose Tyler?"

Rose's smile turned into a frown, confused. "Doctor, what are you talking about?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not making any sense!"

"You heard me, you filthy Zygon!" The Doctor growled, raising his hand. "Change back into your true form or I will _make_ you change back!"

He suddenly struck Rose across the face, his force being so strong she tumbled to the floor, yelping in pain. Rose looked up with tears in her eyes. She realized he was suffering from hallucinations from his illness. He thought he was fighting a Zygon, a red shapeshifting monster he had come across in his past. Rose had once heard of them and she knew how dangerous they were. But the Doctor didn't know that Rose was right in front of him.

"Doctor, you're delirious..." she concluded, tears spilling from her eyes.

The Doctor did not listen. He was about to strike Rose again when he suddenly fainted back onto his pillows, head lolling to the side. Rose was relieved the Doctor was asleep again. She wiped her tears only to find a mixture of red. She gasped, rushing to the bathroom to look into the mirror. There, she found a scratch on her left cheek, with blood dripping from it.

"Oh no..." Rose groaned to herself. She opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed some first aid supplies, beginning work on cleaning up the cut on her face. After her wound was taken care of and bandaged, she went back and checked on the Doctor one more time. He was still passed out from earlier. Rose figured she was better off going to bed. If the Doctor really needed her, he would come to his senses and call for her.

Rose laid in bed for a good two hours just thinking to herself. She was both upset and angry, but she didn't know who to be angry and upset with. The Doctor for slapping her in the face but she should have been angry at herself for not noticing he was delirious.

The night passed uneventfully. Rose fell asleep around 4am while the Doctor slept peacefully, sweating out the rest of his fever. As a result, the Doctor awoke the next morning feeling a lot better. He smiled to himself as he felt wide awake for the first time in days. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get the knots out to find it was soaked in sweat. _Must have had one terrible fever_, he thought to himself, yawning and stretching.

The Doctor peeked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was a little past ten o'clock. Rose must be awake by now, he thought, pulling away the covers and placing his feet into his slippers. He took the robe draped onto the chair and pulled it on before leaving the room.

"Rose?" he called out, looking around the flat for the blonde. He couldn't wait to see her and tell her how much better he felt.

"Doctor?" asked a female voice from the kitchen.

"Rose?" The Doctor asked it, entering the kitchen. Instead of finding Rose, he found Jackie instead, sitting at the table peeling potatoes for stew. "Where's Rose?"

"Still in bed," Jackie answered worriedly. "She hasn't been out of her room all morning. She didn't want to eat or anything. She said she was too tired from last night. You must have worn her out."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked, befuddled. "I was asleep the whole time."

Jackie slammed the potato peeler down on the table and laughed. "Really?" she asked angrily. "You don't remember going out in the freezing rain?"

The Doctor was taken aback. "Wait, what?" he asked. "No, I don't remember doing that! Last thing I remember was Rose saying she was going to draw a cold bath. I must have fallen asleep after that."

"For your information, she was running the bathtub when she couldn't find you. It turned out that you ran outside to play in the rain," Jackie added. She crossed her arms. "We had to go and rescue you from making yourself even sicker that you already were. I had to change your jim jams and then you got the chills."

The Doctor looked down at his pajamas and saw he was wearing a different colour of pajamas than he was wearing the night before. He crossed his arms over his chest, feeling violated. "You had to-?"

"That's right!" Jackie said haughtily. "Besides, it's not like I haven't seen anything before. Don't worry, Rose didn't see you naked. I sent her away before I put you in dry undergarments."

This made the Doctor blush furiously. Jackie saw him naked?! Jackie was the last person he'd want to see him naked, or even in his underpants. He folded his robe over himself, speechless.

Jackie went back to peeling potatoes while the Doctor slinked away, going over to Rose's room. He loosened his grip on his robe, taking his nudity off his mind. He held a fist to the door, and began to knock gently. There was no answer. He knocked harder. Still no answer. He hoped Rose wasn't sick herself.

"Rose?" he asked, placing his hand on the doorknob. "I'm-I'm coming in. I hope you're decent."

Silence. He turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly. The door creaked as the Doctor opened it wider, poking his head in. "Rose? Are you awake?"

He found the room was a dark pink. The curtains were drawn so no light could get in. The Doctor walked over to the curtains and drew them open, making bright daylight cascade in. He glanced at the bed to find the pink blankets covering a body.

"Rose?" he whispered, resting his hand on what appeared to be Rose's shoulder. "Everything alright?"

Rose, who was awake, said nothing as she kept her eyes closed. She felt the bed dip at the end where her feet were. She heard the Doctor breathe a deep sigh.

"I guess I gave you and your mum a hard time last night?" The Doctor asked, picking up one of Rose's stuffed animals and playing with the whiskers on it. He got no answer from Rose. "Listen, I'm so sorry if I was difficult last night. I had a terribly bad fever and sometimes I get delirious."

"Wish you told me that last night," Rose finally spoke under muffled covers. She pulled the blankets back to reveal the bandage on her left cheek, causing the Doctor's jaw to drop in shock.

"What happened?" asked the Doctor, letting go of the stuffed animal, taking his thumb, and brushing it gently against Rose's cheek. His hand was soft against her cheek, causing Rose to feel goosebumps.

"You slapped me," Rose began. "I don't know how I got this scratch but I must have scratched it on the nightstand or the chair when I fell to the floor. You're really strong, you know."

The Doctor stared at the wound in disbelief. "How?" he asked, his voice shaking. "I don't remember doing it..."

"You don't remember?" Rose asked. "I knew it was the fever making you do it. You were having a bad nightmare last night and I went to wake you up to calm you down but then you woke up, thinking I was a Zygon, and slapped me."

The Doctor tearfully shook his head. "You know I could _never_ hurt you, Rose Tyler," he said. He wrapped his arms around Rose, squeezing her tightly. "But I did and I am so, SO sorry..."

"'s fine," Rose sniffed. She wiped tears away with the back of her hand. "I know you'd never hurt me intentionally. I just wanted to help you and you were just in so much distress. You weren't yourself last night."

"Oh, I know," The Doctor said, letting go of Rose. "Your mum told me about the rain."

Rose's sniffles turned into giggles. "Oh yeah! It was scary at the time but now when you look at it, it's funny!" she said. "You just stood there with your arms spread out and you were letting the rain hit your face."

The Doctor smiled, picturing himself out in the rain. It seemed like something he would normally do. "I just blacked out after you suggested a cold bath. Sometimes when I get a fever, I get a little crazy."

Rose, still smiling, shrugged. "How are you feeling, by the way?" She placed her hand on the Doctor's forehead only to find it was cool to the touch. "Hey, no fever!"

"I _am_ feeling much better this morning," The Doctor added, grinning. "I'm guessing I sweated out the remainder of my fever and the rest did me a lot of good. I think we are going to finally be able to leave here soon!"

This made Rose want to jump for joy. She couldn't wait to get back on their adventures together. No more drab and dreary London! As much as she loved it, it was nothing compared to traveling through time and space.

"I think I will go visit the TARDIS today and check on her, see how she's doing," The Doctor said. "Maybe find a proper treatment for your wound."

"It's just a scratch," Rose pointed out.

"I know, but I caused it," The Doctor said, standing up. "Anyway, going to get out of these jim jams. I miss my pinstripes. I'll see you in a bit."

He left the room and closed the door behind him. This made Rose sigh in relief. She was glad the Doctor was out of the woods now and that he felt terrible for what he had done to her in his fever induced haze. She happily got out of bed and got dressed, getting ready for what the day had in store for them.


End file.
